Finding: Trust
by dbd823
Summary: Tumnus heard the entire story of what Edmund did during his first few days in Narnia, how he betrayed Narnia and his family. Now he's forced to choose- will he trust Edmund, or give him a second chance? Of course, it isn't going to be as easy as it seems.
1. Previously in Finding: Answers

**Hey, this is my new story in the Finding series, _Finding: Trust._ However, I'll admit that it's been a long time since I've last updated any Finding book, so let's take a look at where we left of in _Finding: Answers. _****This is the very last chapter of the first Finding story. Enjoy! **

**WARNING: If you have not read ****Finding: Answers, please do not read this one first. It may not make complete sense. You have been warned. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Narnia or the Pevensie's. This wonderful world belongs to C.S. Lewis, and not me. **  
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_Chapter 12: Edmund_

Less than an hour later I stood with Edmund in a tent filled with storage items; extra food, clothes, blankets, and weapons. I saw him warily glance toward the door like he was preparing to run. I couldn't say that I blamed him. Most Narnians would say I had every right to blow up at him, and that he deserved every last bit of the lashing.

And as much as I would love to be the one doing the lashing, something told me that taking my anger and frustrations out on him wouldn't be very satisfying.

Finally, Edmund took a breath, visibly bracing himself, and turned to face me head on. I raised a hand to grab a lantern off a tent pole. Curiously, Edmund winced and clenched his eyes shut, balling his hands into fists. I watched as, several seconds later, he cautiously opened his eyes. Surprise and confusion were written clearly on the Son of Adam's face, and I felt my face turn into a frown.

"What's wrong?" I asked, then continued on in a joking manner. "Did you think I was going to hit you?"

Edmund took a breath and looked away, into a back corner of the tent. The haunted look in his eyes explained everything.

I swallowed and pretended not to see the look he had in his eyes and sat down. Edmund joined me on a large crate and we sat in an uncomfortable silence. I had invited him here to talk but suddenly I didn't have anything to say. I almost wished Edmund would start the conversation, say something that I could respond to, even if it was an angry or defensive comment.

"I've been talking to some people lately," I began, poking my toes in the water, trying to figure out what Edmund would do and say.

"I noticed."

My eyebrows rose. I don't know why I was surprised, really. I wasn't exactly trying to keep my search a secret. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah, it's funny how much you notice things when you-" Edmund stopped suddenly, a small frown crossing his pale face. "Did you hear that?"

"No, what?" I asked curiously.

"It sounded like some scuffling feet," Edmund said, suddenly sitting straight and alert.

"Don't cry wolf, my friend," I teased lightly. Edmund only slumped back onto the crate.

"Right," he muttered. He continued to say something so quiet I couldn't hear and then turned back to me. "You were saying?"

"I just wanted to ask you what your time with the White Witch was like."

Edmund swallowed, standing to look out the tent flaps into the dark night. "Are you sure you didn't hear-"

"I'm positive!"

Edmund looked at me like I had actually slapped him, unconsciously rubbing his cheek. He sat back down quickly, face slightly pale. "Sorry," he whispered, voice cracking.

I blinked in shock. What was I doing? I was terrifying the boy, and I hadn't even been trying to! What had that Witch done to him? Maybe Susan was right after all. I took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Edmund, I don't mean to be harsh. I can come back later if you want, it's really not that important." I stood to leave, but Edmund pulled me back down and put a finger to his lips.

"Shh! Look, I know you don't trust me, but I really think I hear-"

Edmund was interrupted when two shadows bolted into the tent. One leaped onto me and pinned me to the ground before I had time to blink. Edmund managed to pull his sword out before whatever it was had jumped him and was holding it defensively in front of his body. "What do you want, Wolf?" he demanded.

"Put that down or the faun dies," the gray colored wolf said, the larger of the two, creeping up toward Edmund.

"Don't do it, Edmund!" I tried to say before the second wolf put more pressure on my chest and I couldn't breath.

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Tumnus. I can't let you get hurt. Lucy would be…" Edmund trailed off, looking at the wolf one more time. "I'm sorry."

Edmund put the sword down.

"Edmund, no!" I yelled.

Something hard hit the back of my head, sending brilliant sparks in front of my eyes. Everything started to blur and I watched in a haze as Edmund dropped the floor and was dragged out of the tent, unmoving.

"Edmund…" I moaned, Susan's words coming into my mind.

_Trust me, if we tell Edmund what really happened, things won't be that good. Not that Edmund will do anything to harm anyone- no, I don't think I can truthfully say that. He won't try to harm anyone except himself. He'll feel so guilty he'll probably do something drastic, something he thinks will either punish him for his crimes or something to help Narnia despite the consequences to himself. _

Susan was right. Edmund did do something drastic to prove his loyalties. In fact, he had done it to save _me._ Maybe…

That was the last thing I remembered before I blacked out.

**Go to the next chapter to read the first chapter in _Finding: Trust. _**


	2. Chapter 1: Mr Tumnus

**Some of you may have read this already, as I posted it on _Finding: Answers_ but here is the first official chapter of _Finding: Trust. _I've edited pasted it. **

**Drum roll, please! **

***everyone pats tables and stomps feet* **

**Introducing... _Finding: Trust_! **

***cheers and applause***

**I'm actually really excited about this one, but also kind of nervous. So I guess I'll just post and be done with it! Here is the prologue (or first chapter) of _Finding: Trust_. Unfortunately, I do not have the entire story written yet, but I _do _have a very good idea and basic outline for where I want this story to go. **

**So without further ado, please sit back, relax, and enjoy this second story in the Finding series, _Finding: Trust_!**

** *more cheers... me tripping as I walk offstage... total laughter all around the room...***

**WARNING: From now on, all chapters will be posted on the _Finding: Trust _link, so if you want to read more please go put it on story alert! I won't be announcing new chapters on this story. _Finding: Answers _is truly finished right now.  
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**_**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Narnia, the Pevensie's, or Tumnus. In fact, I don't own anything in this chapter at all! You just wait for the next one- then we'll meet some of my OC's!**  
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**Finding: Trust~ Chapter 1: Mr. Tumnus  
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Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

A steady, throbbing pain filled my head. My eyelids were so heavy I could barely lift them. Lion's Mane, what was going on? It felt like someone was pounding large, pointy nails through my skull.

"Mr. Tumnus?"

Who was that? I'd never heard a voice sound quite like it before. It was really weak, so I knew immediately it wasn't a dwarf, and it wasn't as shrill as a Bird's. I lifted a hand to rub my temples and clear my head, but as it moved my other hand followed. Eyes still closed, I tried to pull my hands apart. I groaned as I realized I was tied up.

"Mr. Tumnus, are you awake?" the voice asked once again. "Are you there?"

Maybe it's a fairy, I mused. It _is _really soft. Or perhaps a squirrel? Of course, the only way to truly find out was to open my eyes. I took a deep breath and forced my eyes to push against the heavy weights that seemed to be holding them down.

Everything was a big, fuzzy blur but I could tell the voice was coming from a large, wiggling blob nearby. It was moving so much I would have believed it was a fairy on a sugar high, except for the fact that it was much too big to be a fairy. Oddly, it looked almost like a skinny dwarf, but the voice didn't seem to match. I blinked a couple of times to focus on the moving figure.

"Mr. Tumnus, where are you? I'm so sorry, it's all my fault," the voice whispered brokenly. As my vision finally cleared completely I saw the dwarf suddenly still and sink against the ground leaning heavily against a tree. His whole body shuddered randomly, and couldn't seem to calm himself no matter how hard he tried. The sobs very slowly turned to loud sniffles.

"Who are you? Are you some sort of beardless dwarf?"

The unfamiliar Narnian froze. The last of his sniffles stopped instantly. The next words he whispered hesitantly. "M-Mr. T-tumnus?"

"How do you know me?" I demanded, willing my head to stop throbbing.

"You don't remember?" The figure was moving again, and I could finally understand what the creature was doing. Paws, or possibly hands, waved about wildly, desperately trying to find... something.

Who was the creature? What was going on? What was he- she- _it_ looking for? Aslan, please help-

"What in Narnia are you looking for?" I growled. "Who are you, and how do you know me? Where am I? What is going on?"

I took a closer look at the Narnian now that I could see as well as I normally can, and began to think this creature wasn't quite Narnian at all. I had never seen or even heard of a creature like this before.

From what I could tell, he was young, but you can never tell with foreigners. He was taller than most dwarfs, despite how young he looked, and I could tell he wasn't an animal of any sort, or Aslan forbid a _faun. _I highly doubted he was a dryad or a nymph, and it was obvious he was too small to be even a baby giant. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't think he was a servant of the White Witch. Then again, you can never tell. I found out one of my best friends, a friendly mouse, was being blackmailed into being her spy. She's even got some trees on her side. So you never really know whether or not you're talking to a friend or a spy...

"Well?" I asked again.

This time the creature spoke up. "Don't you remember me? I'm Edmund, Lucy Pevensie's older brother."

"Where and how did we meet?"

Edmund's eyes were open and unfocused, starring out into the trees without really seeing any of them. "You really don't remember?"

I shook my head.

Edmund waited silently, still gazing into a clump of trees.

"Are you alright?" I asked when we had sat in silence for several minutes. Edmund's head jerked in surprise at the sound of my voice. "Edmund?"

"You really don't remember?" Edmund repeated. I wondered if he was going to cry; his eyes were kind of misty.

"I don't remember you, or your sister Lucy," I replied, calming down slightly. The creature looked scared, and Aslan knows I could understand. "Why don't you help me out? When did I meet you and your sister?"

"You didn't meet Lucy and me at the same time," Edmund said. "You met Lucy somewhere in the woods, but Susan and Peter and I, we didn't believe her."

"Why not?"

Edmund laughed quietly. I got the feeling he was usually quiet, and the soft voice of his was raised only for special circumstances. "When your little sister- who happens to make up stories all the time- says she went through an empty wardrobe and entered a strange, magical land that no one has ever heard of and met a creature that doesn't and shouldn't exist, you tend to believe she's bored of staying inside all day and trying to forget there's a war going on and people are dying by having a little bit of fun."

"Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy," I whispered. Something seemed familiar about those names, especially the last one, but what? I took another good look at Edmund and something clicked. "You aren't a Son of Adam, are you?"

Edmund didn't move. I wondered if he had a concussion or something, his eyes were still dull and clouded. "I'm human, yes."

"Are your sisters and brother here, in Narnia?" I asked excitedly. After Edmund confirmed my hopes, I couldn't contain myself. "So the prophecy can be fulfilled now!"

"I doubt you'll want me to be your King," Edmund said in a voice almost too soft to hear.

"Why not? 'When two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve-"

"Yes, yes, I've heard the prophecy," Edmund interrupted. "I'm just not good enough to be your King. You'd probably have me hung if you remembered the entire story."

"Why?" I asked. "It couldn't have been that bad. It's not like you were a spy for the White Witch or anything."

Edmund didn't meet my gaze, looking in the other direction like he didn't want me to see his face, and a very uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. "Edmund, you weren't in league with the Witch, were you?"

Edmund swallowed hard. "Yeah, I was."

The feeling in my gut grew. "Are your siblings alright?"

"Last I knew they were safe and sound with Aslan at his camp," Edmund said.

"Then what were you doing with the White Witch?"

"It's kind of a long story," Edmund said.

I looked around. "It seems to me we have a lot of time."

"She 'convinced' me she was good with enchanted Turkish Delight," Edmund began. "She told me she would make me her prince, and my brother and sisters would be my servants."

I felt sick. What kind of brother would wish his family to be his slaves? Suddenly I was second guessing my prayers that these humans would be our leaders. Any family this dysfunctional couldn't possibly rule a country! "You didn't help her, did you?"

"Every time I opened my mouth, even after I knew the Witch was evil, I kept making things worse. She turned you into stone, and I just... I couldn't..." Edmund turned and looked down at my tied hooves. "I'm really, really sorry."

I was absolutely speechless. _Now _the kid sees his mistakes? When he's strung up to a tree? This wasn't how things were supposed to go.

What did I expect?

The way stories go, Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve have always been perfect leaders. Before the Witch killed all the humans in Narnia, we had never gone to war, or been defeated by hardships like floods and famine. Our kings and queens had always known what to do for whatever situation we were facing.

So why was everything getting messed up now?

"Edmund," I said slowly. "Give me one good reason to trust you right now."

I'd give him a second chance as soon as I had a good reason- which I didn't figure would be so hard for him to give me.

Edmund bit his lip. For a while I didn't think he would respond, and then he lowered his head in defeat. "I'm not sure if I have a reason good enough."

_What?_

"What do you mean?"

Edmund shook his head. "I can't just say 'trust me because I've changed' o 'I'll do better next time.' How would you know whether or not I've actually changed? You can't remember me! You wouldn't know whether or not I tell the truth or lie all the time. Trust has to be _earned, _and I haven't earned yours our you wouldn't have asked. I'm sorry, Mr. Tumnus; I've learned a lot about trust these last few days. Trust just doesn't work that way."

His words surprised me. Honestly, I hadn't ever looked at things quite from that perspective, but I could see the truth in Edmund's words.

Still...

"You aren't telling me something."

"Actually, I haven't told you a lot of things," Edmund replied.

"Looks like we have some time," I prompted.

"Aslan, I wish it wasn't so dark out! I'd rather tell the entire story in the daytime," Edmund groaned. Confused, I glanced up at the bright morning sun. I guessed it was 8 or 9 O'clock in the morning. "Edmund, the sun is shinning pretty high up. It's morning."

Edmund frowned. "But if the sun is shinning, why can't I see it? Why can't I see _anything?"_

**Dun dun **dun! *spooky music plays* So if Tumnus can't remember anything, and Edmund can't see, where is my brain going? I promise you, I have this story all planned out. I do hope you can _trust _me with this (heeheehee) because I've got my heart set on finishing this no matter what. And I haven't forgotten about our dear Wolf friends, they'll be coming up soon.****

**For those of you who have mentioned the Finding series and asked if I would post the next story soon, thank you so much for your patience! I'll be working on finishing this story in the next couple weeks, and I _will _try my best to finish it, so please don't worry if it seems to take a while for a new post. I won't give up on these things, now that people are reading them and want to see more. **

**And, if you want to read more of _Finding: Trust_, drop me a line! I can't wait to hear some reviews with advice!**


	3. Chapter 2: Edmund

**It's kinda short, but as everything but the last chapter of this story has FINALLY been written, I figured I should start posting, yes? Please go back and read at least the last chapter, I know I had to-and most of Finding: Answers as well! Sorry for the delay, please enjoy!**

**Finding: Trust~ Chapter 2: Edmund**

Everything was pitch black, as if it were midnight, but the moon and stars were not shinning. What had happened to me? Was it the Witch's magic, somehow still working despite her death?

No, Aslan told me she was gone. She had to be. And if she wasn't... well, I just had to do everything I could to keep her away from my brother and sister, and the Narnians.

Which reminded me. _Mr. Tumnus._

I took a deep, calming breath. Then another.

"Edmund, are you alright?" the faun asked.

"We have to get out of here. The Wolves will probably be back any time now," I said. "Come over here, and help me untie my hands."

The faun cautiously shuffled to me, which I figured was more than I deserved. I wasn't about to lie to him who I was, even if he didn't remember me_... _especially if he didn't remember me. When he heard the whole story, and somehow I knew he would, I didn't want him to think I hid my faults or left things out. But I wasn't about to believe that me being _honest _with him meant he would love me any more than he did when he didn't know a thing about me. I knew it would be the opposite. It would be harder for him to trust me this way-but it was for the better.

I felt hands pulling at the ropes tying my hands together in front of me, and within a few minutes they were gone. "Let me see your..." I blinked and frowned, frustrated. I had a feeling if my sight didn't return soon, I'd go crazy. "Give me your hands."

Somehow, I could feel Mr. Tumnus' eyes looking at me with pity, and frowned even more. I concentrated on feeling the ropes, finding the strongest knots and gently pulling them apart. It was taking a much longer to free his hands than it took to free mine, but there was nothing I could do about that.

Then I heard something. Someone or something was coming near. I put a finger to my lips, praying the faun would understand. Even though I didn't have to, I closed my eyes, working faster at the knots and listening for the footsteps again. They were the same I had heard earlier, the paw-steps of Wolves.

I heard a soft sigh of relief and felt the rope fall limply onto my feet. Neither of us moved at first, and I focused on listening to the footsteps. There were two Wolves, and some heavier ones I couldn't place. "Come on," I mouthed to Mr. Tumnus, standing as quietly as I could and pointing in the direction opposite of that the Wolves were coming from.

This was bad time for being blind.

Who am I kidding? Being blind made everything ten times harder than before. But it also made my other senses, like smelling and hearing, much more powerful. I was pretty sure I wouldn't have heard the creatures coming if I had still been able to see. They would have been able to sneak up on us, surprising us when we were trying to run away, and we probably would have been punished for it. We certainly would have been recaptured. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

A few minutes later, I stumbled over a tree root. Mr. Tumnus grabbed me before I could hit the ground. Without a doubt, the Wolves had heard me trip, and they would soon be after us. That, and the fact that I knew they had an amazing sense of smell...

"Mr. Tumnus, you have to get out of here," I whispered. "Go to the Stone Table. You'll probably find an Animal or dryad that will help you find Aslan's camp." The faun hesitated. "Look, there's no way we'll both escape if you stay with me. I can't see, I'll just slow us down, and they'll be here soon. This way I'll be able to distract them, and you'll have a chance to escape. If you do, you can warn everyone about what's going on, and bring back help."

Finally Mr. Tumnus agreed. "What about you? They won't be happy that we tried to escape, and that I'll be gone."

"Don't worry about me," I said grimly. "Just go find Aslan."

Mr. Tumnus took a few steps away from me, then a Wolf howled. "Go!" Immediately he began to run, much faster than I would have been able to, considering he's part goat, and was soon gone. I took a seat under a tree, too tired to continue standing. That knock to the head had done more than I thought. Maybe I had a concussion. I'd never had one before, so it was difficult to tell.

A few minutes later the Wolves and another creature, who sounded bigger and heavier, arrived.

**I know this is short, but the next few chapters will be longer. This was kinda a transition back into writing-which happened because of several reviews that were made on The Royal Removal! Thanks to all who reviewed! It got me writing again!**

**DON'T GO AWAY! STAY TUNED! The next chapter has been written and will be posted soon! **

**Read and Review!**


	4. Chapter 3: Tarik

**And now, for the next chapter, something new! Well, kind of anyway. A reminder: my two OC's from ****_Finding: Answers _****are named Abaddón and Lilitu. Abaddón means **_**destruction, ruination**_**, while Lililtu means **_**of the night**_**. I'll also be introducing two new characters, who are... well, I suppose you'll have to read and find out!**

**Finding: Trust~ Chapter 3: Tarik:**

The Son of Adam was alone when we walked into the clearing, leaning against a tree and breathing hard. His eyes were closed, and though he surely heard us, he did not move from his position nestled between two large tree roots.

Abaddón growled and stalked up to the tiny form. "Where is the faun?"

"Faun?" the Son of Adam asked.

"Yes, the faun," Abaddón said. "Tumnus, the traitor."

"I don't know where Mr. Tumnus is."

"Help us and we will make your death more swift."

"It's still death."

"You would rather have a slow and painful death?"

"I never said that."

"You said-"

"I said whether I die quickly or slowly, I'll be dead either way."

"These are rather pessimistic thoughts. Do you want to die?"

"I never said that either," The human's eyes remained closed. "I do not believe I will die today."

Abaddón snorted. "Enough of this. Where is the faun?"

"Are you hard of hearing? I already told you. I don't know where Mr. Tumnus went."

"Which way did he go?"

"How should I know?"

"Humans have eyes, do they not?" Abaddón mocked.

"Of course we do."

We waited. The human's eyes _remained _closed.

"Tell me. Were your eyes even open as the faun scurried away?" Lililtu growled in exasperation.

"Of course they were."

Lililtu huffed. "Abaddón, we do not need the human to tell us where the faun went. We will find him with or without it's help."

"Tarik," Abaddón said, still looking at the human. "Tie the human up again, then take him to the camp. Do not let him out of your sight. If he tries to escape again... just keep him in one piece."

The two Wolves sniffed the air and the ground, searching for a trace of the faun. Then they hurried off, deeper into the trees.

"So. Tarik," the human said. "What sort of creature are you?"

"Open your eyes and find out."

The human made an interesting sound, almost a sigh. "I wish I could."

"Do all humans speak in riddles?" I burst out. "All the time?"

"Not usually."

I stepped forward and grabbed the human's paws.

"So what type of creature are you?"

"We will not go through this again."

"If we listened to each other instead of arguing, you would know that I am actually_unable _to see anything."

"It is not necessary for us to listen to a prisoner," I said. I quickly brought its hands behind its back and tied them with thick, braided ropes. Other creatures would have had trouble getting such tight knots with such thick rope, but one must account for the certain amount of strength a Minotaur has.

Wait.

"You cannot see?"

"What happened to not listening to a prisoner?" the human laughed.

I turned the human around so that I could get a look at its face. Its eyes were finally open, but they were a little glazed and unfocused.

"I saw you snap Her Majesty's magic wand with a puny sword. You jumped off a cliff and aimed directly at it. You were able to see before. So what happened?"

"I don't know..." the human said, rolling its eyes. "I was attacked and knocked unconscious by a pair of Wolves who follow a witch who imprisoned me in an ice dungeon, and who was planning on sacrificing me on a Stone Table for betraying my siblings for a few sweets. Maybe your Wolf buddies hit me on the head too hard. _Maybe _it was a complete accident. I don't know. All I _do _know is I can't see. End of story."

"Come on," I ordered, ignoring the human. "You can walk to the camp, then I will finish tying you up."

"So... what type of creature did you say you were again?"

"I never did," I said. "I am a Minotaur."

The human was silent the rest of the walk.

**:) Hello, everybody. I'd like to introduce you to Tarik, the Minotaur. Tarik means **_**dark. **_**Tarik, this is everybody! I know you'll get along fine... for now. :)**

**So here's one of the new characters, and a new point of view. I wasn't sure about doing a whole perspective based off of Tarik, simply because of how the story ends, but I needed a new point of view and creating him was the best way to do so. Again, sorry for the short chapter! Tumnus's chapters are extremely long, so please bear with me and we'll get through the short chapters!**


	5. Chapter 4: Mr Tumnus

**ALL RIGHT EVERYONE! So it's that time of year again, and it actually worked out so that one of the longer chapters is this one. So take this really long chapter as a Christmas gift, or just a gift if you don't celebrate Christmas! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays... all that good stuff :)**

**Anyway, we're back! Chapter 4 of **_**Finding: Trust **_**right here! I'm a bit excited. For future reference, I'm pretty sure that Tumnus has the longest chapters in this story.**

**Finding: Trust~ Chapter 4: Tumnus:**

I could run all I wanted, but what was the point? I knew there was no way I would be able to escape simply by running. It was just a matter of time before the Wolves tracked me down and recaptured me. I needed another plan.

Maybe I could figure out a way to outsmart the Wolves. It wouldn't be easy, but I had to try. If I could lay out a false trail, or cover my scent and hoof prints, maybe I would have a chance.

How to cover my scent...

I kept running, trying to come up with a good plan. It wasn't long before I could hear the Wolves behind me, running at a smooth pace that would catch me in a matter of moments. I quickened my own pace, desperately praying to Aslan for a way to escape, though I was sure my thoughts were too jumbled for anyone besides Aslan to make out.

And then I saw it. A Fox. It was sniffing around, clearly looking for something, but spun around when it heard my hoof beats. It gasped as soon as it saw me.

"Tumnus! You're alive! You're," the Fox sniffed the air. "You're being chased by Wolves. Quick, up this tree. I'll distract the Wolves, though it's unlikely they'll fall for the same trick twice."

It wasn't easy to climb the tree, but I managed to hide myself in one of the middle branches. It was then I wondered if I could actually trust this Fox, who I had no memory of, or if he was planning to turn me into the Wolves. Was he the answer to my prayers, or one of the enemy?

It wasn't long before a pair of Wolves arrived. They stopped when they saw the Fox, and the larger one slowly walked up to the Fox. The smaller one circled around, trapping the Fox between the two.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here," the larger Wolf growled. "Master Avis," he spat out the words, filling them with as much hate and disgust as possible.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here," the Fox replied. "Abaddón and Lililtu. To what do I owe the _honor_of, once again, meeting with your _esteemed_individuals?"

"Business."

"It always is," Master Avis said. "What sort of business is it today?"

"We are searching for a faun. He came through here. Tell us which direction he went and we will leave you here unharmed."

"I seem to recall this is the second time we have met under these circumstances. I really do believe I should receive some sort of payment for this information."

"You should be punished for your bad information and lies, Fox."

The smaller of the two grabbed Master Avis by the back of his neck and forced him onto the ground. I forced myself to stay silent; revealing my position wouldn't help the Fox at all, and it surely would get me killed.

"Tell us," the Wolf put his head in the Fox's face. "Where the faun went."

There was a silence as we all waited for the Fox's response.

"West," the Fox finally said. "He went west."

"Why should we believe you?"

"Because that's where Aslan's camp is. You know that, and he knows it as well."

The Wolf huffed. I held my breath. I didn't want this Fox to be killed for my sake.

"Come on, Lililtu, we have a faun to catch," Abaddón said to the smaller Wolf.

"What about the Fox?" Lililtu growled?

"Leave it here. If he has lied, we will return and... deal with him."

The two Wolves raced off.

Master Avis remained on the ground for another minute and watched them leave. Finally he whispered up to me, "It's safe to come down now, Tumnus."

I carefully climbed down the tree, a task that seemed much more difficult now that I didn't have two Wolves about to capture me. "T-thank you, Master Avis. I am in your debt." I gasped.

Master Avis smiled as much as a Fox could. "No, I serve Aslan, and therefore help his followers whenever I can. Besides, I came out looking for you and the young king. Do you know where King Edmund is? Is he safe?"

"No. He's not. He's still the Witch's prisoner-"

"What? No, that's impossible! The Witch is dead!"

I starred at him in shock. "What?"

"She was killed by Aslan himself! In battle the day before last," Master Avis frowned. "Are you... are you telling me you don't remember it? You were there! I saw you myself, after the battle was over."

I shook my head. "I don't remember anything," I said. Then I remembered something important. "And that's not all. I was with Edmund, and he... Aslan. I need to speak with Aslan."

Master Avis narrowed his eyes. "Tumnus, what is wrong with King Edmund? Has he... but he wouldn't have. Not after the battle. Is he hurt?"

"He cannot see. I don't know why, or how it happened, but he's blind now. Master Avis, we need to get to Aslan! We need his help!"

"Avis is fine, Tumnus," Avis said, lost in thought. "So you can't remember anything to do with the recent battle. Do you remember who the Pevensie's are?"

"Edmund told me he was a Pevensie, along with his brother and sisters, but other than that, nothing," I said.

"And I suppose it's unlikely that you actually do remember the location of Aslan's camp?" Avis asked.

"Unfortunately, no."

Avis began to pace, glaring down at the dirt as if the ground could offer him the answer he needed and muttering to himself.

"I have to do something!"

Avis stopped pacing. He turned to face me, eyes intensely focused and gazing into mine. "Are you even willing to walk straight toward the Wolves chasing you?"

I swallowed. "Is Edmund someone we can trust? He told me he betrayed his siblings."

Avis let out an exasperated huff. "Tell me that's not the only thing the Son of Adam told you!"

"Well," I thought hard. "he said he wasn't good enough to be king, and that I probably wouldn't trust him when I found out what he had done."

Avis surprised me with a fierce growl. "After what he did, he doesn't think we'll trust him!" he barked. "Sure, some of the Narnians have their doubts, but in all honesty, when you look at everything together, the fact that Aslan _himself_clearly forgave King Edmund and how King Edmund acted in battle, it's a wonder those doubts still exist!"

"What did he do?"

Avis shook his head. "That's something you probably won't believe if I told you, and we don't have time. You must get back and tell Aslan what is happening, but be careful. The Wolves are on their way west as well, and will not stop until they find you. I must go back and make sure King Edmund is alright. I have a bad feeling the Witch's remaining followers are up to no good. Tumnus, as you trusted me when the Wolves were after you, trust the Son of Adam."

I nodded and watched as he ran away, following the path the Wolves had taken. Then I turned around and began back in the direction Avis had come from.

I hurried around a tree and tripped into a river. Its water flow clearly decreased, the river becoming much smaller. Most Narnian rivers flow from the Great River, which flows from west to east, so I knew if I followed the river to its source I would eventually come up to the Great River. Because of the way the river's flow rate was decreasing, I had to assume this was River Rush. Which meant I couldn't be far from the Stone Table, and Aslan's Camp was probably a few hours journey beyond that.

The thought startled me. Did I know where Aslan's Camp was? Was I beginning to remember what happened? I still had no recollection of the Pevensies, or the battle that Avis had mentioned.

This wasn't the time to figure out what I had remembered. I had to keep going. My life, Edmund's life, and many Narnian's lives depended on it. I just wasn't sure how.

**THESE NOTES ARE SEMI-IMPORTANT TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS CHAPTER:**

**First, this name was very hard to find. I wanted this one to be perfect, because I'm sure he'll become very important later on. Please meet Avis, whose name means **_**refuge in battle. **_**He was in ****_The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe _****(for sure the movie, not so sure the books)****as the Wolf who saved the Beavers and Pevensie's from Wolves in a scene much like this, and later turned into stone by the Witch.**

**Second, I read somewhere that Narnian rivers flow west to east, but was unable to find it again. So if this fact is untrue, please let me know. If it is (and it's true because a fellow fanfiction writer invented this fact) please let me know so I can direct credits to the appropriate person(s). I did look up a Narnian map to make sure that all details are correct.**

**Third, I did some research on masking scents from coyotes, and found out it's virtually impossible. A coyote's sense of smell is so much more advanced than humans, and hunters have long debates over whether masking their scent even fools coyotes at all. Bears, wolves, and other predators have been known to mask their own scent to hunt their prey, but their prey does not have a good nose for such things. So in an effort to make this as realistic as possible...**


	6. Chapter 5: Edmund

**PLEASE READ! Normally, I have no problem with people who don't sign in before they review. I'm also pretty good with taking criticism. Something confusing? Tell me, let me explain what I was trying to say and fix it so other people aren't confused. However, due to a recent review in which someone wrote (and I quote) "hate it i dont understand a thing" I have to say I'm at a loss. **

**Whoever you are, I wish I could help you figure out what's going on, but I can't. You didn't sign in. So there's two things I want to say:**

**1) If you haven't read Finding: Answers yet, and you expect to understand this one... you won't. Please go read that first, and come back and read this.**

**2) If you are saying you hate this BECAUSE you don't understand a thing, and the writing itself isn't bad, please let me know. If you're saying that you just plain hate it... please don't stop there. Explain what's wrong with it, why you think it's bad. I can take it (though I'm not afraid of saying 'man, that's just rude') **

**Now, for all of you amazing readers who haven't signed in, please note that I try to respond to every review, and that by not signing in I am unable to do this. Like I said, I can take a bit of criticism, so don't be afraid to politely give advice on how to make this story better. I am leaving the choice for reviewers to sign in up to you, so you can still review anonymously, but if I get more reviews along these lines... that's going to change. **

***Ahem* And now... continuing to what I previously wrote.**

**Please, enjoy this next chapter!**

**Finding: Trust~ Chapter 5: Edmund:**

I was incredibly sore all over, and I couldn't wait to get some rest. My head still throbbed, and my arms were tense from being tied for so long, and the occasional yank I received from the Minotaur. He didn't talk much after we began walking, but then again, neither did I. I was too exhausted to think, let alone participate in conversation, so I didn't object to the Minotaur's rough pushes and quick pace.

Unable to see where I was placing my feet, I continuously tripped over rocks and tree roots. I wondered how many of them the Minotaur purposefully lead me to, knowing I would fall over them. Each time I fell he pulled on the leash he had tied to my wrists, jerking me back to my feet in the most painful of ways.

It was with ironic relief that we arrived at the Fell Creature's camp. I could hear Fell Creatures walking around, talking with each other, and perhaps doing various tasks around the camp. Though I couldn't see them, I figured there were a couple dozen or so altogether. If Mr. Tumnus managed to lead Aslan's army here, it would only be a matter of time before the last of the Witch's followers were defeated.

Of course, this would only happen if Mr. Tumnus managed to reach Aslan's camp without being recaptured by the Wolves. I prayed as hard as I ever had before that this would be the case.

The Minotaur, Tarik, pushed my back into a rough tree bark and forced me onto the ground, tying my feet together and then tying me to the tree. I had been in this position just days before, and couldn't say that I enjoyed it.

"You!" Tarik's deep voice bellowed. "Guard the prisoner. I must speak with Tresa."

"So," a high, scratchy voice mumbled. "it be tray-tar Ad-am son?" Something rubbed against my foot.

I didn't respond. Eventually whatever creature was supposed to be guarding me settled down a couple feet away, occasionally letting out a little snort. I couldn't tell what it was, but it was small. It also had claws and fur, which poked at me every few minutes as if the creature wanted to make sure I was still here.

"So," I began. "Do you know what Tarik and Tresa and the Wolves have planned for me?"

"No, no!" the voice said rather quickly. "Know not plans. Gaganvihari Shvetank Septentrionis know not."

I was shocked. "Gaga- can you repeat that?"

"Gaganvihari Shvetank Septentrionis."

"That's quite a mouthful for such a little fellow. Mind if I call you Gage?"

There was a little scuffling noise. "Not mind, not mind." Something nudged my foot. "Hurt you is?"

"A little."

"Look weird Adam son eyes."

"My eyes look weird?"

"Look weird Adam son eyes."

"Yeah, well I don't know what happened, but I hurt them. Now I can't see."

Something about this creature was... different. And not in a bad way. "Say, Gage, what type of creature are you?"

"Bat is Gaganvihari."

Heavy footsteps came near, along with a set of voices, one deep and familiar, one weary and unfamiliar. Tarik and... Tresa?

"Now go must Gaganvihari. Bye bye."

And with that, the little Bat was gone.

"Here is the traitor," Tarik growled.

"Indeed," said Tresa. "Where is the other?"

"The Wolves are currently chasing him down. This one," Tarik kicked me. "helped him escape."

"Hmm," I could feel Tresa's eyes studying me. "The traitor has lost his sight?"

Tarik shifted uncomfortably. "So he claims, Tresa. I did not see it happen."

Tresa sighed. "Must have hit his head too hard."

"What do you want with me?" I demanded.

"We want our Queen back."

"How do you suppose you'll do that?" I wondered.

"Oh, we know it is impossible," Tresa said. "So now we want the next best thing."

I had a feeling I wasn't going to like what 'the next best thing' was.

"Revenge. Revenge and closure."

**I wasn't planning to introduce so many characters in this story. However, please meet Tresa the hag, whose name means **__**the Reaper**__**. Also, Gaganvihari Shvetank Septentrionis. Awww, I can tell I'll have some fun with this little guy. In order, Gaganvihari means **__**one who stays in heaven**__**, Shvetank means **__**having a white mark**__**, and Septentrionis (pronounced: sep-tehn-tree-ohn-ehs) means **__**north**__**. Quite a mouthful, as Edumnd said. Each have their own special reason, for instance, Gage is a bat (hence his first name), he has a little white mark on one wing (hence the second) and he's from a clan of bats in the north (hence the third). Gosh, that was fun to figure out!**

** Ironically, when I looked up Gage to see what its meaning was, I found it means **__**pledge, oath, to measure, of the pledge, **__**and **__**a pawn**__**among some other definitions of which I cannot wait to fully explore****. ****If only you knew how awesome this is... :P**


	7. Chapter 6: Tarik

**Sorry this is so short, guys! Next chapter will be longer, I promise!**

**Finding: Trust~ Chapter 6: Tarik:**

"Tarik, we will wait an hour for the Wolves to return with the faun. After that, it will be too late. We must reach the Table by the time the Sun Kala sets."

I bowed. "Yes, Tresa."

"In three quarter hours, if the Wolves have not returned, begin to prepare the camp to begin the journey. Perhaps the Wolves will mange to catch up to us before then."

I looked up into the sky. Kala still had a long ways, at least a quarter day, before she finished setting. The short journey to the Table would take only a few hours, three at most. An hour waiting for the Wolves meant we would reach the Table within two hours of the sunset.

"Yes, Tresa."

Tresa walked away muttering to herself, and a few moments later I heard her yelling at the idiotic actions of some idiot.

"How long will it be until the sun sets?" The human shocked me with its question. I was about to snap at it to look for itself when I remembered its sudden disability.

"A few hours," I said, keeping my voice gruff as I checked to make sure the ropes were tight. Not that I had to. I already knew just how tight they were. I also knew that no creature, save a fellow Minotaur or giant, would be able to untie the knots. For a lesser creature to free the Son of Adam, the ropes would have to be cut with a sharp blade.

"Thank you."

I nearly choked on air, if that were possible. The human traitor had _thanked_one of its captors?

I turned in dismissal and walked a few steps away. A Black Dwarf asked me a question. As I answered, I noticed something moving out of the corner of my eye and secretly kept watch on the prisoner.

A small figure snuck its way up to the captive. "Bad things hear Gaganvihari," the Bat said. It warily crawled closer to the human. "To speak to Adam son means danger."

"Then please," the human whispered, clearly not sure who was near enough to hear their conversation. "don't risk yourself for my sake."

"Risk? What is Risk?" Quite possibly the most coherent sentence the bat ever formed.

"Danger. Don't put yourself in danger because of me," the human rephrased.

"But speak Gaganvihari must with Adam son."

"What do you have to talk about?"

The Bat crawled onto the Son of Adam's shoulder, then whispered something in its ear. I was unable to hear what was next said, and wondered if I should interfere.

The Son of Adam nodded slowly. "It is alright, Gage. I understand."

The Bat sighed in relief. "Gaganvihari you thanks."

"You are very welcome, little fellow. Now please, if talking to me puts you into further danger, do not talk to me."

"Speak not to Adam son?" The Bat whimpered. It seemed to wilt, as if it had been struck in the face.

"If it's not safe, no, don't speak to me. If it _is_safe, feel free to talk to your heart's content," the human reassured with a smile.

The bat sniffed the air carefully and made sharp noises. I had no idea what it was doing, but it quickly turned in my direction. Though I knew its eyesight was rather poor, somehow it knew I was there.

"Is that echolocation?" the human asked. Exactly what was echolocation?

The Bat turned to look at the human in surprise. "Know you way Bat sees?"

"Well, it's not really _seeing _things, is it? It's really just sensing where something is."

The Bat shrugged, almost carelessly. "Gaganvihari not know. Gaganvihari go must," he said before fluttering away.

**Yes. Tarik calls Edmund an 'it'. Please understand, as a Fell Creature, Tarik looks down on those who do not follow the Witch. Actually, he looks down on... well, everybody, as shown with his interaction with Gage.**

**In this chapter, Kala is the name of the Narnia's main sun. Kala means **_**sun, princess**_**. I really just choose it because I liked the name.**

**^I bet none of you read that. If you did, you earned yourself a virtual cookie! Please enjoy!**


	8. Chapter 7: Mr Tumnus

**To those of you who reviewed in the last week or two: chances are, you got a response. However, I cannot be sure that I managed to get to all of them. If you didn't receive a response, know that I sincerely appreciate the fact that you took time out of your busy day to read and then critique the last chapter(s). A giant shout out to the new story followers! Thank you so much for reading this story! **

**Allow me to apologize for the week late chapter. I was out of town last weekend and was unable to post, then ended up working on a bunch of projects. Finals are coming up, and most of my grades are (unfortunately!) borderline grades, which means I (shudder!) actually have to *study* to make sure I keep my grades up. I'll try to post next weekend, but because of finals... no promises! **

**However! We're over halfway done, and with everything ready to post it hopefully won't be more than a month or two that this is completely posted! **

Finding: Trust~Chapter 7: Tumnus

My head had yet to stop throbbing, and I had only been hiking a couple of hours. I didn't have a clue how much further I had to travel, but I knew if I went any faster I would exhaust what little energy I had left. Though I couldn't afford to waste time, wasting energy would just slow me down faster.

I sighed. Things would be so much different if Edmund had been able to see. He would probably be with me, and Avis too. Avis would have led us to Aslan's camp—to a place I _should _remember but can't. Now _that _would be something. If only I could remember everything, maybe we would have escaped faster. Maybe we would already be at camp.

If I hadn't insisted on talking to Edmund in the tent so late at night, maybe we wouldn't have been captured. This was all my...

The realization shocked me. If I hadn't insisted...

_I stood with Edmund in a tent filled with storage items; extra food, clothes, blankets, and weapons. I saw him warily glance toward the door like he was preparing to run. I couldn't say that I blamed him. Most Narnians would say I had every right to blow up at him, and that he deserved every last bit of the lashing._

_And as much as I would love to be the one doing the lashing, something told me that taking my anger and frustrations out on him wouldn't be very satisfying._

_Finally, Edmund took a breath, visibly bracing himself, and turned to face me head on. I raised a hand to grab a lantern off a tent pole. Curiously, Edmund winced and clenched his eyes shut, balling his hands into fists. I watched as, several seconds later, he cautiously opened his eyes. Surprise and confusion were written clearly on the Son of Adam's face, and I felt my face turn into a frown._

_"What's wrong?" I asked, then continued on in a joking manner. "Did you think I was going to hit you?"_

_Edmund took a breath and looked away, into a back corner of the tent. The haunted look in his eyes explained everything._

I tried to remember more, but found I couldn't. Not much more, anyway. Maybe I was only going to remember small bits and pieces at a time. Maybe by the end of the day, I'd remember everything.

I was finally remembering! Small things, sure, but still! Now I had hope!

Now if only this headache would go away...

As soon as the thought had been completed, I felt guilty. Here I was, complaining about a headache, when Edmund had literally sacrificed himself so I could get free. Edmund and Avis were both counting on me to get help. I could deal with my headache after Edmund was safe.

I hurried on, fueled by hope. Less than an hour later I heard the loud noise of the hustle and bustle of a couple hundred Narnians. This had to be it! I had reached Aslan's camp at last!

I felt adrenaline rush through my body and sprinted the rest of the way, calling for Aslan when I had finally past a couple of the tents.

Narnians everywhere turned to see what the commotion was, but I ignored them. I needed Aslan. I yelled at someone to get me Him, and several creatures rushed away. Within minutes most of the camp stood nearby, watching, and I was standing in front of Aslan, another Son of Adam, and two Daughters of Eve.

"Your Majesty!" I quickly bowed.

"Tumnus," Aslan nodded. "Where have you been? The entire camp has been searching for you and Edmund."

"That's why I've come. We were captured by some Wolves. I barely managed to escape. Edmund's still their prisoner, and-"

"Why is that, faun? Did you not help him escape as well?"

I lowered my head. "He... he told me to go without him. He said there was a better chance of me escaping than him."

"He is to be your king. Without him, the prophecy cannot be fulfilled. Why would you leave him when you know how important he is to Narnia?"

Was Aslan saying these things simply to get on my nerves? Was he trying to make me mad? "Aslan, with all due respect, I don't think you understand-"

"Do you not remember our talk?" Aslan asked, his voice low.

"I..." I didn't know what to say. "No, Your Majesty, I don't. I can't explain it, but... I can't remember anything."

I heard several gasps from the Narnians. I had forgotten they were here, listening. The smaller Daughter of Eve took a step toward me. "What do you mean, you can't remember?"

I shrugged. "When I woke up, I couldn't remember anything that had happened in the last week. Edmund had to explain some things to me, but we didn't exactly have enough time for him to tell me everything. I guess I'm missing some important stuff?"

The Son of Adam snorted. "More like he didn't tell you some things on purpose."

"No, he told me the main things. How he betrayed us to the Witch, for one."

"Did he also tell you about what he did during the battle against the Witch?" Aslan asked.

"Uhh..."

"Of course not," the second Daughter of Eve said. "Like I told you before, Mr. Tumnus... though I guess you wouldn't remember it now."

_"Mr. Tumnus," Susan began, completely serious. "I don't know how much you trust Edmund, or what you think about him, but he's my brother. I love him despite the mistakes he's made, and not any less than before. He's made mistakes, but he's seen what happened because of them. I know he'll learn from them, but there's just one thing I need you to promise me."_

_"What is that, Susan?"_

_"Don't tell Edmund about what happened on the Stone Table."_

_"Why shouldn't he know what happened? Because of him, Aslan died!"_

_"_That's_ why he shouldn't know. At least, not yet, anyway."_

_I shook my head. "That doesn't make any sense."_

_Susan winced. "Trust me, if we tell Edmund what really happened, things won't be that good. Not that Edmund will do anything to harm anyone- no, I don't think I can truthfully say that. He won't try to harm anyone _except himself_. He'll feel so guilty he'll probably do something drastic, something he thinks will either punish him for his crimes or something to help Narnia despite the consequences to himself. I'll tell him what happened sometime when he's ready, but not now. He needs time to recover from the Witch."_

The memory came so suddenly, I dropped to my knees in shock.

"Mr. Tumnus, are you alright?" the smaller Daughter of Eve stepped forward.

"I just remembered part of our conversation," I said breathlessly. "You said he would be willing to sacrifice..." I swallowed. Her first words struck home. If only I had remembered this conversation earlier. Maybe I could have—

"What's done is done. There is no need to speak of what is past," [CHECK MOVIE FOR EXACT QUOTE] Aslan said, looking at me. He seemed to know exactly what had been going through my head.

The Son of Adam spoke up again with a frown. "Edmund said you had a better chance of escaping?"

I nodded. I knew what I had to say, but how to explain it? "He must have hit his head too hard. When he woke up, he couldn't see anything."

Many Narnians gasped. I shuddered, thinking of how it had felt when he had asked about the darkness, and the first moment we had found out that he couldn't see.

Aslan growled. "I was afraid something like this would happen," he said, almost to himself. "Tumnus, can you lead us to where Edmund is?"

"I can lead you to where I was being held, but I doubt they're still there. Master Avis is trying to find Edmund-"

"You met Avis?" Aslan asked.

"He saved me from the Wolves, sent them in the wrong direction while I hid."

The Son of Adam and the bigger Daughter of Eve exchanged looks.

"Good," Aslan said. "King Peter, get your sword and shield. Queen Susan, get your bow. Queen Lucy," Aslan said to the younger Daughter of Eve, speaking softly now. "Bring your cordial. We'll probably need it later."

And with that, we hurried off to rescue Edmund. I could only pray I led them in the right direction and that we reached Edmund in time.


	9. Chapter 8: Edmund

**One: I know somethings up with the formatting, and I do apologize. I will go back when this has been completely posted and edit those chapters which are seriously annoying me, however with finals coming up I can barely justify writing this authors note!**

**Two: This chapter... it's just been a while since I've read it, and (like I found out with the last chapter) there may be a bit of confusion. I don't think it should be terrible (though it is fairly short) but let me know if anything doesn't make sense or someone is out of character. Thanks to the great advice on the last chapter, you all gave me a lot to think about! **

Finding: Trust~Chapter 8: Edmund:

Closure?

Of all things... closure? I understood the revenge thing. I _had _broken the Witch's most powerful weapon, after all. But saying they wanted closure was like saying the Witch had been, say, their mother or something. What did they need closure for?

I was focusing on the wrong thing. I didn't need to worry much about the what. At least not now. I had to worry about the _how _they were going to get revenge.

It wouldn't be fun. At least, it wouldn't be fun for me. I suppose whatever was to come would be fun for the evil creatures wishing revenge. They seemed to be having a lot of fun already, and we were only walking. They kept pushing me to my knees, and laughing as I struggled to get up.

I did not want to go to the Stone Table, even though it meant we were closer to Aslan. The Witch had been planning to kill me there, had probably killed many other creatures there before. And it wasn't hard to guess that whatever was to come probably ended in my death.

Had Mr. Tumnus escaped? The Wolves hadn't returned, so we had left without them. This was good news... right? The Wolves had been planning to bring Mr. Tumnus back alive, and it wouldn't have taken this long unless they still had to catch Mr. Tumnus.

I had to believe Mr. Tumnus had escaped, and that he was getting help. I had to believe that Aslan was on his way, that everything would be alright. Because I knew there was no way I would be able to escape all these creatures on my own, especially without being able to see. And I knew the prophecy wouldn't be able to be fulfilled if only one Son of Adam was crowned king.

What would happen if I died? Would I go back to England, or would I be dead in both worlds? Would Mum and Dad ever know what happened to me? Would Peter and the girls go back to England without me? Would they miss me? If the prophecy wasn't fulfilled, would the Witch be able to come back to life?

_Peace, child. Trust us. I will never leave you. _

I blinked.

_Aslan?_

_Trust me. That is the only thing that will save you now._

_Aslan, I can't see!_

_I know, child. _

_How can I trust you? It... it's just so hard!_

_Edmund._

_I can't see anything, and a hag is planning to kill me on the Stone Table. What will happen to Narnia? What will-_

_Edmund!_

_My parents are going to be so disappointed. Well, I suppose they already are, but now will be even worse because-_

_EDMUND!_

_Aslan? _

_Breathe and trust us. Trust me, trust your brother and your sisters, and trust the Narnians. _

_I-I will, Aslan. _

I blinked, even though I knew it wouldn't clear my vision at all. I felt like sobbing. I don't know how, but Aslan had spoken to me.

He had asked me to trust him.

I tripped over another rock with a cry.

Trust him?

Somehow I knew trusting Aslan shouldn't be this hard. It was as if something was keeping me from actually doing it, but that didn't make sense. How could something keep a person from having an emotion? How could something keep a person from _trusting_? Was it really just fear that kept me from trusting in Aslan? Or was it something worse, some sort of dark magic that the hag was responsible for?

How on earth was I supposed to do trust someone when I couldn't do much more than focus on where I was stepping? How could I trust him when I was absolutely terrified? When things looked... seemed so bleak?

I sat on the ground, hands tied uncomfortably behind my back, suddenly too tired and scared and confused to do much else. I didn't try to move until I felt a sharp kick in the ribs, knocking the air out of me. I struggled to my feet, trying to find my balance and my breath at the same time. We continued on, and as we went I tried to as hard as I could to trust Aslan. 

**So... yeah. Sort of a change of pace. I just want to say, as much as writing this for my audience (you guys!) is important, I'm also writing for myself. This story was born in a time when I couldn't figure out who to trust, how to trust, or what to believe, and I needed to sort out my thoughts. I'm still working on trusting and figuring out the answers to this sort of stuff. I guess I'm just trying to say that if this seems cliche or whatever, this chapter in particular was a conversation I had with a certain Someone (my personal Aslan, if you will) and this chapter (or really the symbolism to my own conversation) is really what this story in particular was written for. **

**If you want to know more about what I mean, I'm totally willing to talk about my journey. However, I won't waste the time of those who don't wish to know. PM me if you want to know more about what this story (and the rest of this series) is about for me. **

**Thanks so much for your reviews and support through this story! **


	10. Chapter 9: Tarik

***leans out from behind a giant oak* Hey there. So, I apologize this chapter is going on the fourth week overdue; I honestly didn't realize this was so late. Things have been going super fast, and I've barely had free time to update this. **

**Excuse me. *sniffs* I just want to say... thanks. To all of you who reviewed that chapter (and other chapters) your support is incredible. Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. I got more reviews in the few hours after I posted than I personally expected, and I'm really glad many of you seemed to understand where I was (and still am) coming from. I'll admit, I felt like crying, but I've been so busy I didn't have the time to. Just... thank you all for the kind words to a person you don't even know at all, aside from a fake name. You don't know how much it helps. **

**This is the first of the last three chapters in this story! I can't believe I've made it this far, and gotten as many reviews and supporters as I have.**

**Giant thanks to Elfera, who noted a mistake in which I said Edmund saw the Narnians. Edmund is still UNABLE to see, and if you note another mistake like this please let me know!**

Finding: Trust~Chapter 9: Tarik

We were just minutes away from the Stone Table when it happened.

The two Wolves, Abaddón and Lililtu, ran toward us, dodging trees and leaping over fallen branches and rocks. They were at our side within seconds of their appearance.

"Tresa!" Abaddón called.

"What is it, Wolf?"

"The Narnians! They are on their way!"

The Son of Adam gasped. I jerked the rope binding it, pulling it closer to me and then pushing it to its knees.

"How did they know we were coming?" Tresa demanded.

"We were unable locate the faun. Avis the Fox must have given us the wrong information. Again," Abaddón growled.

"He will be dealt with." Lililtu's eyes gleamed.

"All in good time," Tresa said. She turned to the crowd of Fell Creatures. "Everyone! Aslan is on his way! He is coming for the traitor. Will we let him take the Son of Adam?"

"No!" the crowd yelled.

"Will we give them a fight to remember?"

"Yes!"

"Will we avenge our Queen?"

"Yes!"

The battle cries continued, until Tresa was no longer needed to keep up the shouting—everyone was shouting without regard to what anyone else was saying. I knelt down so that my face was close to the Son of Adam's. "Hear this, little prince. Your Cat does not stand a chance."

"He's a Lion," the Son of Adam said defiantly. "And he's not the only one you have to worry about. The Narnians are out for blood. Your blood. It is _you_ who doesn't stand a chance."

"Indeed, we may die," I smirked. "However, we shall still declare victory if you are killed with us."

I felt a shiver run down the human's spine and pushed it closer to the ground. We were surrounded on all sides by Her Majesty's followers, all ready to fight. The noise was tremendous.

And then the first Narnian arrived.

Chaos took over. Everywhere someone was fighting. Against all instincts to join in the fight, I stood over the Son of Adam. Despite what I had said, killing the Son of Adam here was not a part of the plan. We wanted it dead, yes, but we wanted it done on the Stone Table, not here.

A Centaur rushed at me, and I swung my club at it. It ducked and quickly turned, rushing at me from the side now. My attention completely on fighting off this Centaur, I missed the second until it attacked from the other side.

I knew I did not stand a chance. All the strength in the world can not overcome two angry Centaurs. I slammed my club at a Centaur's head and then picked up the Son of Adam. We were out of time, but we were so close. Maybe I could make it.

"This way!" a voice hissed, followed by a jumble of words I recognized as a magic spell. Tresa. Suddenly I could hear the Son of Adam gasping for breath. It began to struggle weakly, pushing against my chest.

"What did you do to it?" I asked.

"Do not worry about that for now, come on!" Tresa whispered.

Somehow we were able to sneak away from the fighting—a hag, a Minotaur, and a Son of Adam. Tresa's spell must have worked, because we walked past several Centaurs and even the second Son of Adam. None of them had any idea we were walking by. The traitor heard them. It probably recognized a few of their voices, because it tried to call for help, but the more it tried to talk the more it choked. Tears began streaking down its face, soaking me. "Shut up!" I whispered. "It will all be over in a second."

But this emotion... this was different. The traitor really loved this Son of Adam. As we were about to leave the fight behind us, I gave one last look at the larger human. It looked frantic, searching for its brother. It was killing all Her Majesty's loyal followers, but all in the name of love for this traitor.

"Come on!" Tresa said angrily from way up ahead. "We have to get going!"

I turned to look at her, then glanced down at the Son of Adam. The traitor could no longer see the fight behind me, but it had stopped struggling and fallen limp in my arms. Silent sobs continued to rack its body. I forced myself to ignore it, hurrying after Tresa.

It was almost over.

It was almost done.

This is what we had been planning for.

We had almost won.

But now I was not so sure...

**So now I'm curious. Tarik is a character who I can see both living and dying in this story. I have managed to decide the fates of every character in this story, however Tarik has me stumped. In your reviews, let me know. Would you rather:**

**a) kill Tarik, 'cuz he's evil, and see what happens**

**b) keep him alive (idk, possibly escape?) and see what happens**

**I have a pretty strong opinion about this myself, but I would like to see what you all think. Please review! **


	11. Chapter 10: Tumnus

**Second-to-last chapter, right here! *tear* This journey has been spectacular! Thank you so much for reading! **

**BOOKCHOMPER101! Hey, please note that I did in fact get your review, and would love to respond, but your private messaging has been disabled. So everyone else can ignore this, as this is my response: **

**Hey, that's actually a really interesting plot twist I honestly didn't think of! I'll have to think on that now. This chapter kinda gives the Tarik issue away, just a bit, but there's another chapter coming up. We'll see. As for your question, on how many chapters you write, there are quite a few variables involved with this decision. For example, The Royal Removal started as a story that was only supposed to be a few chapters long, so I posted each individual chapter-however, it got a bit out of control, and looking back it would have probably been better if I had at least planned a plot. If you know and are confident with your story, write a few chapters, 3 or 4, and see how it goes. If for some reason you don't like the way it's going, want to change it, etc, you can do so. As you write, you'll find your own style of writing-personally, I've started writing most (if not all) of a story prior to posting, simply because I don't want to find my story is no longer fun to write or there's a scene I can change to make the entire thing much better. Everyone has their own style, but I hope this helps you at least start finding yours! If you want more help, go ahead and ask (though it may be a good idea to enable private messaging first!) **

Finding: Trust~Chapter 10: Tumnus

We were heading toward the Stone Table. Emotions were running high, everyone yelling and hurrying deeper into the trees. I couldn't believe this was happening. Edmund had told me what he had done, and all these people he had betrayed were rushing to his rescue! It was surreal.

"Tumnus!" a voice growled.

I turned to see Aslan sitting, golden eyes studying me. "Your Majesty?"

Aslan sat, silently starring at me, then padded up to me. We continued walking, following the Narnians. "Tumnus, you still have doubts."

"It's not that I don't want to trust Edmund... I just... I don't know if I can."

"What makes you say this?"

"Well, I can't remember anything, and he openly admitted to betraying Narnia."

"Yes?"

"I mean, I suppose his honesty is better than trying to hide his crimes from me—then I would know for sure something was wrong. But I still don't understand how everyone here can trust him as if nothing bad happened."

Aslan gaze followed the Narnians on their way to the battle. "Unfortunately, your memory loss does not allow you to remember the good Edmund has done. And what has been done to him."

"What has—OH!"

The image struck me just as suddenly as it had before. I was forced to stop walking and grabbed Aslan's golden mane for support.

_I didn't want to see this, but I couldn't leave. I could practically hear his screams echoing off the iced walls, see the Minotaur or giant towering over him, ready to strike again._

_I sank to the floor and cradled my head in my hands. No one could survive that much blood loss._

_I didn't like the human much, but I would never, ever wish this upon _anyone! _Tears started falling down my face, my vision blurring as I fell to the cold ground._

_Soft footsteps padded down the stairs behind me. I turned to see a majestic lion slowly making his way toward me. Aslan didn't say anything and I finally broke the silence._

_"He's dead, isn't he?" I whispered._

_Aslan said nothing for several seconds. "I can only tell you your own story."_

_"How can I find out, then?"_

_"Come with me. Join the fight against the Witch."_

_I nodded, standing. "Lead me to the battle."_

"I thought he was dead, there was so much blood. There was a battle..." I frowned, deep in thought. "Against the Witch."

Another memory flashed before my eyes.

_Susan stepped back and began searching. "Where's Edmund?"_

_Peter looked at his sister, eyes wide, and led the way. I followed at a distance. I didn't want to intrude, but I needed to know if he really was alive._

_"Edmund!" Susan yelled, drawing back her bow and shooting a dwarf about to give her brother a killing blow. She ran to the figure sprawled on the ground, one small hand grabbing fistful's of grass like it was the only thing keeping him alive. Peter and Lucy joined her, and they formed a tight ring around the shuddering figure._

_From where I stood near a large boulder, I couldn't see anything but the back of Peter's head, Lucy's face, and Susan with something cradled in her lap. She pulled a helmet of and I saw a head of raven black hair spill out…_

_Edmund! He's alive!_

_With trembling hands, Lucy opened a vial of some sort and let a drop fall into the boy's mouth. He went from gasping fore each breath and jerking slightly in Susan's arms to perfectly still._

_Susan and Peter looked at each other. Though I could only see Susan's face, I knew Peter's was a mirror image of her own: terrified, distressed, and… guilty?_

_Lucy, who had been crying the while time, began shaking as her tears softly racked her whole body._

Come on Edmund! _I found myself silently urging him to open his eyes. _Your family needs you! Narnia needs you! You owe us all so much!

"Yes, there was. Lucy's healing cordial revived Edmund, and the battle was won. The Witch is gone. However, her followers are intent on keeping the prophecy from becoming fulfilled."

"We still need two Sons of Adam..." the realization hit me like a rock.

"Indeed."

"I never should have left him."

"You followed orders. Now we must live with the choices we've made. Help fight against Jadis's influence once more, Tumnus."

I looked around. The Narnians were gone. "We should get going!"

"Wait," Aslan said. "Follow me."

Within minutes we reached the Stone Table, cracked in two. A Minotaur stood holding Edmund. They were standing by the Stone Table, waiting as a hag climbed up so that she stood on one part of the Table. The Minotaur slowly laid Edmund down next to the hag, who had pulled out a small dagger.

"Tresa," the Minotaur growled.

"What is it, Tarik?"

"This feels... wrong," Tarik sniffed the air.

"Wrong? In just a few seconds we will have won! If only Her Majesty could be here to see this, to be the one to do this."

Alsan growled next to me. Tarik looked around, wary and confused.

"Something is here."

"Well, go find out what and kill it."

Tarik waited at the Table, and his answer shocked me. "No."

Tresa looked up from the dagger she was sharpening. "Excuse me?" she asked, voice dangerously low.

"I said no. I will not do this."

"If you do not, I will kill you both."

"This traitor has managed to earn the respect of all the Narnians, and they are now killing Her Majesty's followers despite the fact that he has betrayed them. There is something bigger here. I refuse to stand in the way of... of whatever is protecting this Son of Adam."

Tresa muttered several words under her breath and the Minotaur was flung into a tree. He didn't move.

Aslan roared. He ran toward the hag and pounced, knocking her from her position on the Stone Table. I hurried to Edmund, untied his arms, and helped him sit up. He was gasping for breath, unable to speak. When Aslan had finished, he came over to us and breathed on Edmund. Edmund closed his eyes in relief, taking in as much life-giving air as possible.

"Is the Minotaur dead?" Edmund finally asked, eyes still closed.

"No," Aslan replied, surprising me.

"What if he wakes up?"

"He won't do anything," Edmund said.

"How are you so certain?"

"Aslan..."

Aslan nodded, eyes twinkling at the Son of Adam, still resting and gathering strength. "Edmund seems to have quite an impact on people."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just... some conversations Tarik and I had together."

Edmund spoke of the Minotaur as if they were friends on a first name basis. "What about the Minotaur?" I asked.

Aslan gazed at the Fell Creature thoughtfully.

"Leave him," Edmund said. "He deserves a second chance."

Aslan smiled as best a Lion can. He nudged Edmund's neck with his warm cheek. "Wise decision, Son of Adam."

I wasn't so sure I agreed, but if Aslan said it was wise I would trust him.

"Let's go find the others."


	12. Chapter 11: Edmund

**Please read my extremely important authors note at the end of this chapter! It'll be worth your while! **

Finding: Trust~Epilogue: Edmund

It was over.

All I could do was breath. Deep breaths. In and out. In and out. In. Out.

Someone was leading me somewhere-I had no idea where, but the hand was gentle, and I was too exhausted to fight it.

I realized the thick rope that had bound my wrists was gone. Maybe whoever was holding my arm had cut me loose. Had I been rescued? What had happened?

"Peace, my son," came a kind, reassuring voice.

"Aslan?"

"I am here, little one. Rest, we will be with you brother shortly."

"Peter?"

A second voice said, "I'll run ahead and get him." The hand on my arm disappeared, and a large, warm object came in close. Aslan's fur was soft, and I buried my head in his mane.

"Aslan, I don't understand. What happened? Where are we? Where did you come from? Why-"

"Edmund!" a loud voice called. Footsteps pounded toward me before I was thrown into a tight bear hug. "You're alright, you're safe, I've got you..." Peter continued to mutter into my ear.

"Peter?" My legs gave out, forcing me to lean on my brother. Peter took the majority of my weight. "Peter, I can't see you. What's going on?"

"Aslan, what's wrong with him? Why can't he see?"

"We think the Wolves hit him too hard yesterday."

Was it really only yesterday? Surely it had been longer.

"Edmund!" I heard more voices, all worried and excited, followed by the sweet scents of my sisters. I closed my eyes and focused on their heartbeats, their warm embrace, everything about them that told me they were there.

I sighed. We were safe. It was over.

"Let's get back to the camp," another voice suggested.

There was a flurry of movement, and I listened to the sounds of everyone standing up and walking around. I didn't move, and neither did Peter.

Images-memories-began flashing in front of my eyes, of the Witch's castle, of her camp, of the creatures who called themselves her subjects. They were all disjointed and were joined with sounds and smells that I would never be able to forget. The memories were overwhelming, and I sank to the ground. My head was swirling. I didn't know it was possible to be dizzy when one couldn't see. People shouted things around me, but none of it was recognizable.

I just wanted it to stop.

"Breathe, Ed. In and out. Listen to me, Edmund, you have to calm down. Just follow the sound of my voice. In... out... In... That's right, Eddy, Out..."

"Aslan," I whispered.

"Hush, child. Rest. We will talk when you wake up."

And with His permission, I fell asleep in my brother's arms.

**Well. Here we are. This is it. We've reached the end of another story. Thank you for joining me on this journey! It's been a blast. Please read on for my proposal. :D **

**As you can see, there are still several issues left unresolved. At the end of Finding: Answers I posted a preview chapter to this story. This time I'm doing something a bit different. YES, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER STORY! **

**The third part of this series has not yet been completely written, and it may be a while before that happens. However, my dear readers, I would like to give you a sneak peak anyway, and get some opinions of what is about to come. **

****So here's the deal. I have 28 followers and 15 favorites on this story. That's pretty decent, if you ask me. I don't exactly enjoy begging for reviews-nor, at this point, am I extremely desperate, as I do get quite a few good ones, thanks so some super amazing readers. This is actually not me begging, anyway, because it's not my loss if no one reviews. ****

****IF YOU ARE AMONG REVIEWERS ONE THROUGH FIVE OF THIS CHAPTER (1-5): You will receive the title, a small summery, an introduction to three new characters, and a brief preview into the first chapter of the third portion of this series. ****

****IF YOU ARE AMONG REVIEWERS SIX THROUGH TEN OF THIS CHAPTER (6-10): You will receive the title, a small summery, and and an introduction to one new character of the third portion of this series. ****

****IF YOU ARE AMONG REVIEWERS ELEVEN THROUGH FIFTEEN OF THIS CHAPTER (11-15): You will receive the title and a small summery of the third portion of this series. ****

****IF YOU ARE AMONG REVIEWERS SIXTEEN AND UP (16+): You will receive the title of the third portion of this series. ****

****If you are among the people who did not review in the first group and would like to read the preview and meet the characters, do not worry. If I have not posted the first chapter of this new story by APRIL 15TH I will do so by posting the information as the next chapter of this story. ****


	13. Introducing Finding: Faith

**I won't waste your time, but this is all important. **

**Those of you who have favorited me or one of my stories in the last few months, despite my lack of updates: thank you. **

**Those of you who are eager to read the next installment in the Finding: Series, this is important.**

**This chapter is almost 600 words. THIS IS ONLY A _TASTE _OF WHAT IS TO COME. YOU WILL STILL HAVE TO READ THE PROLOGUE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN LATER CHAPTERS. ****It is NOT the entire prologue which will be posted later. The entire prologue will have over 2600 words. It will be the longest chapter due to the timeline of the story, so be excited for a really long first chapter (which will hopefully be good writing despite the length) but not disappointed when the following chapters are much shorter. **

**This post is merely a promise to you from me that Finding: Faith _will _get published. I will be posting updates on my profile every week to inform you of how the story is coming along. I currently have the Prologue and the first chapter done, with approximately 5000 words total. **

**Please read and review!**

The woods were filled with the sounds of metal clashing, shouts, growls, cries of pain and anger and fear as Fell Creatures fought against Narnians. Both sides were fueled by pure adrenaline, combined with emotions running high.

Lililtu growled, sinking her teeth into the leg of a Satyr and bringing him to his knees. He gave a cry of pain and swung a club at her side. Lililtu released his leg, jumped to the side, and quickly grabbed the arm holding the club in her jaws. The Satyr gave a loud shout and drew the attention of a Centaur, who didn't hesitate to come to his friend's aid.

Lililtu had to release the Satyrs arm in order to dodge the Centaurs broadsword, then slashed her sharp claws into the underbelly of the Centaur. He reared in shock, his front two hooves crashing dangerously close to Lililtu's head.

Lililtu leaped back, gasping for breath, before jumping back at the Centaur, ignoring the Satyr who had yet to return to his feet. She snapped at the Centaur's feet before giving three quick barks—a signal to the Pack to swarm together and attack.

Just as they had trained, the Wolves immediately left their opponents, many who were already dead or gravely injured and no longer considered a major threat, or even a minor one. Lililtu soon had half a dozen Wolves at her side.

Lililtu's left ear twitched: another order for the Wolves, who had already surrounded the Centaur. The Centaur shifted uneasily. He opened his mouth to call for help but Lililtu didn't give him enough time for a single sound to come from his mouth before lunging at him.

The force of seven strong, battle-trained Wolves brought the Centaur to the ground, but the Centaur refused to surrender. He swung his sword, missing one light grey Wolf, Alala, from Lililtu's quick glance to her right, but successfully slicing the chest of Shiro, the only pure white Wolf in the Pack.

The Wolf to her left gave a furious howl of pain and shock, distracting Lililtu. She recognized that voice.

_Abaddón._

Lililtu immediately ordered the Wolves to cover her retreat as she carefully picked her mate up by the back of his neck and dragged him toward the shadows of several trees. She laid him gently on the ground. He was clearly having difficulty breathing, and a large gash ran across his left side.

"Abaddón," Lililtu whimpered. She tried putting pressure on his wounds to stop the bleeding but found the gash was too long and too deep.

"Lililtu," Abaddón moaned. Lililtu had to lean closer in order to hear his next words. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Lililtu asked softly, unwilling to admit to herself what was happening.

"I… won't be there." Abaddón said, licking his mate's cheek while she was so close to him.

Lililtu returned the favor. "Yes, you will. You will be there. You have to be."

"Too… late."

"Don't leave me, Abaddón!"

"Take care of them."

Lililtu didn't have to ask who he meant. She nodded and promised she would.

Abaddón closed his eyes. "I love you, Lililtu."

"I love you too, Abaddón," Lililtu tried to blink the tears away.

Abaddón took one last shuddering breath before he went completely still.

Lililtu howled up at the sky. She was joined by the rest of the Pack, a symphony of mourning and grief.

Lililtu gave her mate one last lick before leaping back into the fray of the battle, intent on giving Abaddón his revenge.

**Alala-sister of Ares**

**Shiro-silver**


End file.
